Silvio Berlusconi is one of my favourite politicians – he's the panto villain you can boo and hiss and throw rotten veg at. He heavy-handedly dictates and pays his way through politics, and, seemingly, does little to hide it. Our own politicians do dodgy deals and cheat on their wives, but it only seeps out later. Give me a Berlusconi over the Uriah Heeps any day.Kim Batty Hastings, East Sussex

What is the basis for John Hooper's claim in his article on Silvio Berlusconi that John Profumo paid Christine Keeler for her services? I know of no evidence for this. What the former war minister did cost him and his family dearly, but he did more than enough in the rest of his life to redeem himself.Terry Philpot Limpsfield Chart, Surrey

It's refreshing to note that a high-earning Hollywood star such as John Cusack retains such a grounded sense of social justice that he's as incensed as the rest of us at the bonuses Wall Street bankers continue to pay themselves. But hold on, aren't these the same guys who bankroll Sony, the makers of 2012, the disgustingly expensive blockbuster that Cusack graciously agreed to be interviewed about in order to boost its box-office takings? Or are they the guys who failed to bankroll the (unmade) Stopping Power, which resulted in Cusack suing the producers for $5.6m. Wouldn't that be $5.6m for work not actually done? A bit like the bankers' bonuses, then.Declan Heneghan Liverpool

So Tim Dowling's children go to the park over the road to play with "local kids". Presumably there is something special about his kids that makes them not local, even though they live just across the road. Perhaps that's why the other children were following them.Pamela Wales Ipswich, Suffolk

Awful to read that Tim was punched in the mouth. Was the assailant a regular reader of his column?John Nancollis Stockport, Cheshire

To use Lucy Mangan's comparison, Saturday's Guardian is roughly equivalent to five stamps. For that, we get her column and the rest of the paper as a bonus. She needs retaining as a perpetual parcel, to be unwrapped and savoured at times of national absurdity.Paul Walker Buxton, Derbyshire

Yotam Ottolenghi's individual take on meat-free recipes is usually interesting, but I was underwhelmed by his Hot Carrot Salad on shop-bought crumpets. Was he secretly on holiday that week?Amanda West Twyford, Berkshire

A bungalow whose only drawback is that the bathroom is downstairs (Wreck Of The Week). What stairs would those be, then?David Collins Kidderminster, Worcestershire